How do I connect wiring in my ceiling junction box?

I tried pretty much every combination possible to hook up a 2-light ceiling fixture in the hallway, and none are working. I found out that now the bathroom light right off that hallway is no longer working too…

Electrical Question from Tana about Electrical Wiring
Question: Coming from the ceiling are 2 sets of wires. 1 wire is white, and the other 3 are black. The white wire is the only hot one, which I checked with a voltage checker… I tried pretty much every combination possible to hook up a 2-light ceiling fixture in the hallway, and none are working. I found out that now the bathroom light, right off that hallway is no longer working too. Any suggestions?

I own a very old house that has been renovated over the years. I took down a ceiling light fixture but was not really paying attention to the wiring. The old light fixture was working fine and was controlled by a dimmer. Here is my situation: I have 2 old wires coming from the junction box which are both black. I have another set of wires coming from the dimmer switch which one is black and the other white. The white wire from the dimmer is attached to one of the old wires and they are hot. The other old wire and the black wire from the dimmer switch are not attached to anything. The light fixture I am attaching has one black and one white. I am not sure how the other owners had the old light fixture hooked up, but it worked.

Hi David,
Please navigate to the Ceiling Fan area of the website which has very detailed wiring diagrams about how to wire a ceiling fan and how the wiring is connected when the ceiling fan is controlled by a wall switch.
Please note that a lighting dimmer switche should not be used to operate a ceiling fan motor.
Enjoy!
Dave

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